Shock absorbing evacuation systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A method for deploying an inflatable slide includes increasing pressure within the inflatable slide, increasing a load in a force releasing member and a dampener, both of which are attached to the inflatable slide, in response to the increasing pressure within the evacuation slide, the load being increased at a slower rate than would occur if the dampener were not present, separating the force releasing member, and inflating the inflatable slide.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of, and claims priority to, and thebenefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/407,818, filed on Jan.17, 2017, and entitled “SHOCK ABSORBING EVACUATION SYSTEM RESTRAINT”which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to inflatable evacuation systems and, inparticular, to restraint systems and methods for inflatable slides.

BACKGROUND

Emergency inflatable slides may be used to exit an aircraft absent a jetway or other suitable means of egress for passengers. The slides maydeploy from a door sill or a side of the aircraft fuselage, for example.The slide deployment is controlled by restraints placed throughout thelength of the slide which release in stages in response to internalslide pressure.

SUMMARY

A restraint arrangement for an inflatable slide is disclosed, inaccordance with various embodiments. A restraint arrangement for aninflatable slide may comprise a force releasing member attached to theinflatable slide at least two locations, and a dampener in operablecommunication with the force releasing member such that a rate of forceapplied to the force releasing member is reduced compared to if thedampener was not present.

In various embodiments, the force applied to the force releasing membermay be due to a pressure increase that causes the inflatable slide toinflate. The dampener may be a dashpot. The dampener may be a shockabsorber. The dampener may comprise an elastic strap. The forcereleasing member and the dampener may be the same device. The forcereleasing member may be configured to separate in response to thepressure increase. The force releasing member may be configured toseparate in response to a predetermined pressure.

A restraint arrangement for an evacuation system is disclosed, inaccordance with various embodiments. A restraint arrangement for anevacuation system may comprise a restraint, a first strap coupledbetween the restraint and the evacuation system, and a second strapcoupled between the restraint and the evacuation system, wherein therestraint is configured to separate in response to a tensile forceapplied to the first strap, the second strap, and the restraint.

In various embodiments, the second strap may comprise an elasticmaterial, the second strap configured to stretch to dampen a loadthrough the restraint. The restraint may be configured to separate inresponse to the load. At least one of the first strap and the secondstrap may comprise a nylon webbing. The restraint arrangement mayfurther comprise a dampener coupled in series with the restraintconfigured to dampen a load through the restraint. The dampener maycomprise a dampener body and a plunger configured to translate withinthe dampener body. The restraint may comprise a dampener body coupled tothe second strap, a plunger coupled to the first strap, a spring member,and a shear pin. The plunger may be configured to extend from thedampener body in response to an internal pressure of the evacuationsystem. The shear pin may be configured to break in response to theinternal pressure of the evacuation system being greater than athreshold value. The evacuation system may be configured to unfold inresponse to the restraint separating.

A method for deploying an inflatable slide is disclosed, in accordancewith various embodiments. A method for deploying an inflatable slide maycomprise increasing pressure within the inflatable slide, increasing asame load in a force releasing member and a dampener, both of which areattached to the inflatable slide, in response to the increasing pressurewithin the evacuation slide, the same load being increased at a slowerrate than would occur if the dampener were not present, separating theforce releasing member, and inflating the inflatable slide.

In various embodiments, the method may further comprise stretching, bythe dampener, in response to the same load.

The foregoing features and elements may be combined in variouscombinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise.These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will becomemore apparent in light of the following description and the accompanyingdrawings. It should be understood, however, the following descriptionand drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. Amore complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may bestbe obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims whenconsidered in connection with the figures, wherein like numerals denotelike elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an inflatable slide in adeployed position, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the inflatable slide in astowed position, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrate a restraint arrangement aiding in retaining theinflatable slide in a folded position, in accordance with variousembodiments;

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate restraint arrangements, in accordance withvarious embodiments;

FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C illustrate a restraint arrangement with a forcereleasing member in a relaxed position, under a load in a fullystretched position, and in a separated position, respectively, inaccordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 8 illustrates a method for deploying an inflatable slide, inaccordance with various embodiments; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a restraint arrangement receiving a load andgenerating a dampened load, in accordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes referenceto the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments by way ofillustration. While these exemplary embodiments are described insufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice theexemplary embodiments of the disclosure, it should be understood thatother embodiments may be realized and that logical changes andadaptations in design and construction may be made in accordance withthis disclosure and the teachings herein. Thus, the detailed descriptionherein is presented for purposes of illustration only and notlimitation. The steps recited in any of the method or processdescriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarilylimited to the order presented.

Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, andany reference to more than one component or step may include a singularembodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected orthe like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, fulland/or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any referenceto without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contactor minimal contact. Surface cross hatching lines may be used throughoutthe figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote thesame or different materials.

Slides according to the present disclosure may extend from an aircraftstructure, such as a fuselage or a wing, for example, to an exit surfacein a fully deployed position. During deployment, a plurality of forcereleasing members may aid in controlling the inflation process of theslide. The force releasing members may be configured to restrain a slidein a folded position and to de-couple in response to internal slidepressure. A restraint arrangement is provided to absorb loads applied toa force releasing member. Restraint arrangements of the presentdisclosure may prevent premature separation of the force releasingmembers.

With respect to FIG. 2 through FIG. 7C, elements with like elementnumbering, as depicted in FIG. 1, are intended to be the same and willnot necessarily be repeated for the sake of clarity. With respect toFIG. 4 through FIG. 7C, elements with like element numbering, asdepicted in FIG. 3, are intended to be the same and will not necessarilybe repeated for the sake of clarity.

With reference to FIG. 1, an evacuation system 104 is illustrated, inaccordance with various embodiments. Evacuation system 104 may compriseinflatable slide 100. Inflatable slide 100 may comprise a head end 106and a toe end 108. Head end 106 may be coupled to aircraft structure.Inflatable slide 100 may comprise an inflatable slide. FIG. 1illustrates inflatable slide 100 in an inflated and/or deployedposition. Inflatable slide 100 may comprise a dual lane slide. However,inflatable slide 100 may comprise any number of lanes. Toe end 108 maycontact an exit surface in response to inflatable slide 100 beingdeployed.

With reference to FIG. 2, inflatable slide 100 is illustrated in astowed and/or packed position. In this regard, inflatable slide 100 maybe stowed in a packboard 210. In various embodiments, inflatable slide100 may be folded in the stowed position. In various embodiments,inflatable slide 100 may be deployed from packboard 210 in response toopening an emergency exit door. Packboard 210 may be coupled to anaircraft in an installed position. Typically, a packboard 210 includes ablow-out panel which opens in response to deployment of inflatable slide100 through which opening the inflatable may exit the packboard. In thisregard, inflatable slide 100 may be configured to be deployed from anaircraft.

With reference to FIG. 3, inflatable slide 100 is illustrated in afolded position, in accordance with various embodiments. For example,inflatable slide 100 may include a plurality of folds, including firstfold 391 and second fold 392, when inflatable slide 100 is in the foldedor stowed position. A restraint arrangement 350 may aid in maintainingfirst fold 391 and/or second fold 392. Restraint arrangement 350 may aidin staged deployment of inflatable slide 100. Restraint arrangement 350may comprise a force releasing member 300, a first strap 310, and asecond strap 312. Force releasing member 300 may be attached toinflatable slide 100 at least two locations. Force releasing member 300may be coupled to inflatable slide 100 via first strap 310. Forcereleasing member 300 may be coupled to inflatable slide 100 via secondstrap 312. Inflatable slide 100 may unfold in response to forcereleasing member 300 separating.

In various embodiments, force releasing member 300 may be configured toseparate in response to an internal pressure in inflatable slide 100.For example, a gas cylinder may supply a flow of pressurized fluid toinflatable slide 100 in response to inflatable slide 100 being deployed.Inflatable slide 100 may begin to inflate and an internal pressure ofinflatable slide 100 may increase. Force releasing member 300 maymaintain inflatable slide 100 in a folded position until the internalpressure has increased above a predetermined threshold value. Inflatableslide 100 may unfold in response to force releasing member 300separating. In this regard, inflatable slide 100 may fully deploy inresponse to force releasing member 300 separating.

In various embodiments, first strap 310 and/or second strap 312 maycomprise a rope, tape, ribbon, webbing, or any other suitable strap. Invarious embodiments, first strap 310 and/or second strap 312 maycomprise nylon, ballistic nylon, polypropylene, polyester, cotton, orany other suitable material. For example, first strap 310 and secondstrap 312 may comprise a nylon webbing.

In various embodiments, force releasing member 300 may separate,decoupling first strap 310 from second strap 312, in response to apredetermined force, such as tensile force. Said tensile force may begenerated in response to an internal pressure of the inflatable slide100, for example during inflation. In various embodiments, forcereleasing member 300 may be configured to separate in response to atensile force of between 150 pounds and 700 pounds (667 N-3114 N), andin various embodiments in response to a tensile force of between 170pounds and 600 pounds (756 N-2669 N), and in various embodiments, inresponse to a tensile force of between 170 pounds and 300 pounds (756N-1334 N).

With reference to FIG. 4, a restraint arrangement 450 is illustrated, inaccordance with various embodiments. In various embodiments, restraintarrangement 450 may be similar to restraint arrangement 350, withmomentary reference to FIG. 3. Restraint arrangement 450 may furthercomprise a third strap (also referred to herein as a dampener) 414.Third strap 414 may be coupled in parallel with second strap 312. Invarious embodiments, third strap 414 may comprise an elastic material.Third strap 414 may comprise an elastomer. Third strap 414 may comprisea shock absorber. Third strap 414 may be in operable communication withforce releasing member 300 such that a rate of the tensile force appliedto the force releasing member 300 is reduced compared to if the thirdstrap 414 was not present. In this regard, third strap 414 may beconfigured to stretch in response to a tensile force being applied tothird strap 414. For example, a tensile force may be applied to thirdstrap 414 in response to inflatable slide 100 being deployed and/orinflated, with momentary reference to FIG. 3. Said tensile force may betransferred from third strap 414 to second strap 312 in response tothird strap 414 being stretched. Said tensile force may be dampened inresponse to the stretching. For example, second strap 312 may comprise alength which is greater than the length of third strap 414 in anunstretched position. Third strap 414 may move to a stretched positionand increase in length until it is as long as second strap 312. Inresponse to third strap 414 stretching to a length equal to second strap312, the tensile force, or load, may be transferred from third strap 414to second strap 312.

With reference to FIG. 5, a restraint arrangement 550 is illustrated, inaccordance with various embodiments. In various embodiments, restraintarrangement 550 may be similar to restraint arrangement 350, withmomentary reference to FIG. 3. Restraint arrangement 550 may include asecond strap (also referred to herein as a dampener) 512. Second strap512 may comprise an elastic material. Second strap 512 may comprise ashock absorber. Second strap 512 may be configured to stretch inresponse to a tensile force being applied to restraint arrangement 550,for example, in response to an internal pressure in inflatable slide100, with momentary reference to FIG. 3. Second strap 512 may be ratedfor loads greater than the rating of force releasing member 300. Stateddifferently, force releasing member 300 may be configured to separate ata load which is less than the rated load of second strap 512. Stated yetanother way, second strap 512 may be configured to stretch withoutbreaking before force releasing member 300 is separated.

With reference to FIG. 6, a restraint arrangement 650 is illustrated, inaccordance with various embodiments. In various embodiments, restraintarrangement 650 may be similar to restraint arrangement 350, withmomentary reference to FIG. 3. Restraint arrangement 650 may include adampener 600 coupled in line with second strap 312. In this regard,dampener 600 may be coupled in series with force releasing member 300.Dampener 600 may dampen tensile forces through force releasing member300. Dampener 600 may be in operable communication with force releasingmember 300 such that a rate of the tensile force applied to the forcereleasing member 300 is reduced compared to if the dampener 600 was notpresent. Dampener 600 may be a dashpot. Dampener 600 may comprise ashock absorber. Dampener 600 may include a dampener body 602. Dampener600 may include a plunger 604. Plunger 604 may translate within dampenerbody 602.

With reference to FIG. 7A through FIG. 7C a restraint arrangement 750 isillustrated, in accordance with various embodiments. In variousembodiments, restraint arrangement 750 may be similar to restraintarrangement 350, with momentary reference to FIG. 3. Restraintarrangement 750 may include a force releasing member 700. Forcereleasing member 700 may include a dampener 704 comprising a dampenerbody 710, a plunger 720, and a spring member 730. In this regard, forcereleasing member 700 and dampener 704 may be the same device. Forcereleasing member 700 may include shear pin 740. Shear pin 740 may becoupled to dampener body 710. Spring member 730 may be coupled betweenplunger 720 and shear pin 740. In the illustrated embodiment, springmember 730 is a compression spring compression spring comprising a coilspring. However, it is contemplated herein that spring member 730 may bearranged as any type of spring, including a torsion spring, a clockspring, and/or a tension spring. Plunger 720 may be coupled to firststrap 310. Dampener body 710 may be coupled to second strap 312.

As illustrated in FIG. 7B, dampener body 710 may be pulled away fromplunger 720 in response to internal pressure of an inflatable slide,with momentary reference to FIG. 3. Spring member 730 may compress inresponse to internal pressure of an inflatable slide, with momentaryreference to FIG. 3. Dampener 704 may be in operable communication withforce releasing member 700 such that a rate of a tensile force appliedto the force releasing member 700 is reduced compared to if the dampener704 was not present.

As illustrated in FIG. 7C, shear pin 740 may break in response to thetensile force being applied through force releasing member 700 via firststrap 310 and second strap 312. In this regard, force releasing member700 may separate into at least a first portion 701 and a second portion702 decoupling first strap 310 from second strap 312 and allowinginflatable slide 100 to fully inflate and deploy, with momentaryreference to FIG. 3.

In various embodiments, dampener body 710, plunger 720, spring member730, and/or shear pin 740 may comprise metal.

With reference to FIG. 9, a restraint arrangement 950 is illustrated, inaccordance with various embodiments. Restraint arrangement 950 mayinclude first strap 910, force releasing member 900, dampener 914, andsecond strap 912. In various embodiments, and with momentary additionalreference to FIG. 3 through FIG. 7A, restraint arrangement 950 may besimilar to restraint arrangement 350, restraint arrangement 450,restraint arrangement 550, restraint arrangement 650, and/or restraintarrangement 750. In this regard, dampener 914 may comprise third strap414. Further, the combination of dampener 914 and second strap 912 maycomprise second strap 512. Still further, the combination of forcereleasing member 900 and dampener 914 may comprise force releasingmember 700. In this regard, although illustrated as being in series,dampener 914 and second strap 912 may be in parallel, and forcereleasing member 900 and dampener 914 may be in parallel.

A tensile force (also referred to herein as a load) 902 may be appliedto restraint arrangement 950. Tensile force 902 may be applied acrossfirst strap 910, force releasing member 900, dampener 914, and secondstrap 912. Tensile force 902 may be in response to inflation ofinflatable slide 100. Tensile force 902 may be in response to aninternal pressure of inflatable slide 100. Stated differently, tensileforce 902 may be applied to force releasing member 900 in response to apressure increase of inflatable slide 100 that causes the inflatableslide to inflate. Dampener 914 may dampen tensile force 902 to generatea dampened tensile force (also referred to herein as a dampened load)904. In this regard, force releasing member 900 may receive dampenedtensile force 904.

With reference to FIG. 8, a method 800 for deploying an inflatable slideis provided, in accordance with various embodiments. Method 800 includesincreasing pressure within an inflatable slide (step 810). Method 800includes increasing a load in a force releasing member and a dampener(step 820). Method 800 includes separating the force releasing member(step 830). Method 800 includes inflating the evacuation slide (step840). Method 800 may include stretching, by the dampener, in response tothe load (step 850).

In various embodiments, with combined reference to FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG.6, FIG. 7A, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9, step 810 may include increasing apressure within inflatable slide 100. Step 820 may include increasing asame load (e.g., tensile force 902) in a force releasing member (e.g.,force releasing member 300, and/or force releasing member 700) and adampener (e.g., third strap 414, second strap 512, dampener 600, and/orforce releasing member 700), both of which are attached to theevacuation slide 100, in response to the increasing pressure within theevacuation slide 100, the same load being increased at a slower ratethan would occur if the dampener were not present. Step 830 may includeseparating the force releasing member (e.g., force releasing member 300,and/or force releasing member 700). Step 840 may include inflatinginflatable slide 100. Inflatable slide 100 may be inflated via acompressed tank for example. Step 850 may include stretching, by thedampener (e.g., third strap 414, second strap 512, and/or forcereleasing member 700), in response to the same load.

Benefits and other advantages have been described herein with regard tospecific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in thevarious figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplaryfunctional relationships and/or physical couplings between the variouselements. It should be noted that many alternative or additionalfunctional relationships or physical connections may be present in apractical system. However, the benefits, advantages, and any elementsthat may cause any benefit or advantage to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure isaccordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, inwhich reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean“one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one ormore.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C”is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted tomean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may bepresent in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, orthat any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in asingle embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and Band C.

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detaileddescription herein, references to “various embodiments”, “oneembodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, etc., indicatethat the embodiment described may include a particular feature,structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarilyinclude the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover,such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic isdescribed in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it iswithin the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature,structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodimentswhether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, itwill be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implementthe disclosure in alternative embodiments.

Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the presentdisclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless ofwhether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited inthe claims. No claim element is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f)unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” Asused herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variationthereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that aprocess, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elementsdoes not include only those elements but may include other elements notexpressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, orapparatus.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for deploying an inflatable slide,comprising: increasing pressure within the inflatable slide; increasinga same load in a force releasing member and a dampener, both of whichare attached to the inflatable slide, in response to the increasingpressure within the evacuation slide, the same load being increased at aslower rate than would occur if the dampener were not present;separating the force releasing member; and inflating the inflatableslide, wherein a first strap is coupled to the force releasing member ata first location, a second strap is coupled to the force releasingmember at a second location, the dampener is coupled to the forcereleasing member, and the dampener is coupled in parallel with thesecond strap.
 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:stretching, by the dampener, in response to the same load.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the force releasing member separates inresponse to the same load.
 4. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe force releasing member separates in response to a predeterminedpressure.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forcereleasing member is attached to the inflatable slide at least twolocations.